


I could never let you go

by 40sweethearts



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, SO MUCH FLUFF, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, bucky is drunk and loves steve, steve loves him back of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 17:53:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14720834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/40sweethearts/pseuds/40sweethearts
Summary: “Are you drunk, Buck?”“No!” He laughs. “Okay, maybe a little bit. But Steve, c’mon! This song!” He starts singing along to the song, Steve would find it endearing if their neighbors weren’t coming outside now to see what is going on.“Bucky, stop it. People are starin’ now,” Steve finds himself going even more red. Bucky obviously didn’t hear him or doesn’t care because he seems to be singing even louder now.“Stevie,” Bucky says, a little out of breath. He is still holding up the stereo which doesn’t surprise Steve for some reason. “I’m in love with you, Steve Rogers.”And that.Well- that wasn’t what Steve was expecting at all.or the one where Bucky gets drunk, and serenades to Steve outside his house.





	I could never let you go

**Author's Note:**

> We are back! Really, this was something that popped into my head very late at night and I couldn't just let the idea pass me by!
> 
> the title comes from the song I Like The Way You Love Me by Brenton Wood! If you haven't heard it, I definitely recommend it. He is absolutely brilliant.
> 
> Once again, sorry for any mistakes. This was a fun story I wanted to write down and I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

 

“Nat, I’m fine,” Steve rolled his eyes as he opened up a pack of popcorn and putting it in the microwave to cook. 

 

He places the phone between his shoulder, grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge. Steve pauses for a second before also opening the freezer and grabbing the cookies n’ cream ice cream he bought because why the fuck not? He is home alone on a Saturday night with no plans. 

 

Natasha had called him and practically begging Steve to go out with her and Clint, but he just wasn't in the mood. He was up all week past midnight trying to finish his deadline for the new comic he was working on, only having a total of 15 hours of sleep the entire week. Steve just wanted to have a nice night in without having to worry about anything.

 

“You know, Steve, you keep saying that but I don't believe you,” Nat says. “You haven't been out in what, two months? You are working yourself like crazy. I never see you anymore,” Steve doesn't miss the hurt in her voice and it makes him feel like complete shit. He has been so busy the past couple of months being cooped up with the new issue that he didn’t realize how badly he was dismissing his friends. 

 

Steve frowns. He doesn’t like making people upset, especially his Natasha who has been through his side through the worst in his life. “I’m sorry, Nat. I didn’t realize how shit of a friend I was being.”

 

“Stop frowning, Rogers,” he frowns harder. He will never understand how she knows him so well that she can read him even over the phone. “You just have to promise me next time that you will come out with Clint and I.” 

 

Steve sighs. The timer goes off and he grabs the popcorn from the microwave. He pours it in a bowl, grabbing the wine bottle from the counter and a glass along with it. 

 

“Deal.”

 

“Perfect!” Nat cheers making Steve laugh. “And you can bring Bucky also!” 

 

There it is. 

 

He groans, Steve doesn’t know why he expected anything less from her, honestly. He can practically hear her smirking over the phone. 

 

“How many times do I have to tell you that we are just friends? He’s my neighbor for Christ sake, Nat!” 

 

She snorts, he even hears Clint in the background laughing. God, growing up with with Clint and Nat had been bad when they were just friends but now that they are together they seem to want to make Steve’s life even more of a living hell. 

 

“Oh, Rogers,” She sighs as if _she_ is the one who is done with him. “Friends don’t look at each other the way you two do, nor do they have dinner together _every Friday night.”_ Natasha emphasizes the last three words which make Steve go red.

 

Okay, yeah, him and Bucky have had dinner every Friday night for the past two months since Bucky has moved in next door. Steve was being a nice neighbor at the time because Bucky looked so stressed out moving everything in, and Steve wanted to take the ease off him a little by cooking him dinner. Sue him for being nice. 

 

And if Bucky happens to be the most gorgeous man he has ever laid his eyes on with his nice hair, broad shoulders, and thick thighs that could probably lift all two hundred pounds of Steve up against the wall and fuck him senseless then- well, nobody has to know that other than Steve. 

 

“We have dinner as friends _._ God, don’t us two have dinner nights together, Natasha?” He grabs a handful of popcorn from the bowl and throws it in his mouth. 

 

“Yes, _Steven,_ we do,” he scrunches his at his name, he hates when people call him his full name, and Nat knows that. “But we go out to each at a restaurant. Not cook each other homemade meals like a couple.”

 

He opens his mouth to retaliate on exactly why him and Bucky are _just_ friends when he hears music playing outside his house. 

 

“I think somebody is playing music outside my house,” he interrupts Nat on who knows whatever the hell she was rambling about. Probably how Steve is emotionally constipated, it seems to be a reoccurring topic between them. 

 

“What?” she deadpans. 

 

The music gets louder, Steve gets up from the couch and heads towards the window. 

 

“I said I think somebody is playing music outside my house,” he walks slowly towards the window. He peeks through the curtain and sees… Bucky holding a stereo over his head?

 

“It’s Bucky,” Steve says over the phone. He doesn’t know why Bucky would be standing outside his window at eleven at night blaring music loud enough for the neighbors to hear. 

 

“Bucky is playing music outside your house?” Nat sounds just as confused as he does, so he opens the window, poking his head outside. 

 

Steve see’s Bucky snap his head up from where it was looking down. His hair is falling loosely out of his bun and the top three buttons of his shirt are opened which gives Steve a great view of his chest. Not that he was looking.

 

Of course not.

 

“Bucky? What are you doing?” 

 

“Steven Grant Rogers!” He smiles big, his words slurring a bit, and if Steve had to guess he would say Bucky is drunk. “I dedicate this song to you!”

 

Steve chokes on his spit, he can hear Nat laughing over the phone and for a second, he forgot she was there. He hears, _oh this is amazing,_ and he clicks the end button before she hears anything else.

 

He immediately knows the song. It’s _I Like The Way You Love Me_ by Brenton Wood. His face instantly gets red and god, he's sweating. When did it get so hot in his house?

 

“Are you drunk, Buck?”

 

“No!” He laughs. “Okay, maybe a little bit. But Steve, _Stevie,_ c’mon! This song!” He starts singing along to the song, Steve would find it endearing if their neighbors weren’t coming outside now to see what is going on. 

 

“Bucky, stop it. People are starin’ now,” Steve finds himself going even more red. Bucky obviously didn’t hear him or doesn’t care because he seems to be singing even louder now.

 

“Stevie,” Bucky says, a little out of breath. He is still holding up the stereo which doesn’t surprise Steve for some reason. “I’m in love with you, Steve Rogers.”

 

And that. 

 

Well- that wasn’t what Steve was expecting at all. 

 

Steve mouth feels like it is on the floor and he has no idea what the fuck is even happening anymore. 

 

He looks at Bucky, _really_ looks and sees a man that he knows that he could spend the rest of his life with. It’s silly, he knows. Bucky is only somebody he has only known for close to three months, but even if they aren’t together on Friday night for dinner, they are always texting each other or talking over the phone. Whether it’s to talk about their day, or Bucky telling him a joke he heard that day. 

 

Steve has known for a while now that he wants something more than to be just friends with Bucky, but Bucky is drunk and he probably won’t even remember this come morning. 

 

“Bucky, you are drunk.” 

 

Bucky finally puts down the stereo, turning the music off and dropping it on the floor. “Does that mean you don’t love me back? Because I swear to ya, Steve, I’ll treat you better than any man before me if you give me a chance.”

 

Steve hears an _aww_ come from his right and sees his neighbors have probably been listening to their conversation going on. 

 

Jesus, can this night get any more embarrassing for him?

 

Steve sighs. “Buck, come around front so you can come inside.”

 

He sees Bucky smile before he turns around and heads to the front door. Steve lets out a deep breath before pulling out his phone and sees he has a message from Nat.

 

_What did lover boy say?_

 

_Steve_

 

_Tell me!_

 

_Wait don’t tell me unless youre w/ him ;)_

 

Steve rolls his eyes, pocking his phone and opening up the door. He sees Bucky leaning against the door, Bucky looks up and smiles. 

 

“You come here often?” Bucky smirks then laughs as he stumbles into the house. 

 

“You are a jerk; you know that?” Steve closes the door and heads towards the kitchen to get Bucky some water. 

 

Bucky sits on the stool by the bar, head in his hands and sighs deeply. “You hate me? Because I feel like you hate me right now. I don’t want you to hate me, Steve.” 

 

Steve looks over at Bucky who is giving him the most adorable sad puppy look and he would laugh If it didn’t look like Bucky was about to start crying. 

 

“I don’t hate you, Buck. What would I for?” He passes the glass of water towards Bucky who chugs it down in one gulp. 

 

He wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Attractive, really. 

 

“Because here I am, confessin’ my undying love for you and you haven’t even kissed me yet!” Bucky throws up his hands like it’s the most ridiculous thing. “How are ya going to leave me hangin’ like that, Stevie?”

 

Steve bites his lips to force himself not to laugh. Bucky looks so cute pouting his lip at him. 

 

“I’m not going to kiss you, Buck.” Steve says, even though he wants the exact opposite. If he is honest with himself, he has wanted to kiss Bucky since the first day he met him. But Bucky is drunk and Steve would never take advantage him like that.

 

“Oh.” Bucky gets up from the chair and clears his throat and says: “Maybe I- um, I’m gonna go.” He smiles at Steve, and he can tell that it’s forced. 

 

“Bucky, stop,” Steve places his hand on Bucky’s forearm, gently stroking his thumb back and forth on the soft skin. Bucky closes his eyes and lets out a shaky breath. “I do want to kiss you. You have no idea how bad I want to kiss you but I’m not going to do it when you aren’t sober and probably won’t remember it in the morning.”

 

“Always the gentleman, huh?” Bucky lets out a soft laugh, bringing his hand up to Steve’s neck to bring their foreheads together. 

 

“Well, Ma did raise me right,” They both laugh. Steve’s face is so close to Bucky’s, all he would have to do is move one more inch and he would be kissing Bucky.

 

Luckily for Steve, he’s waited long enough for Bucky, so what is one more night for them. 

 

“C’mon let’s get you to bed. The sooner you sleep the sooner you can kiss me in the morning,” Steve breaks away from Bucky, turning his back and walking towards his closet where he keeps the spare blankets for whenever he has guest over.

 

“Is this your way of taking me to bed? Ya know, Steve, you are going to have to take me on a date first.” Bucky smirks at the way Steve’s neck gets red. Steve rolls his eyes and pulls the two blankets out and handing them over to Bucky. 

 

Steve takes a step towards Bucky, leaning in so his breath ghosts Bucky’s skin when he says: “Trust me, Bucky, if I was taking you to bed you still think either of us would be wearing clothes right now?”

 

Steve smirks at the way Bucky chokes, _literally_ chokes on his spit, before turning around and showing Bucky to the guest room. 

 

“What the fuck just happened?” Steve hears Bucky mutter under his breath, he follows after Steve and practically throws himself on the bed. 

 

“If you need anything, I’m two doors down to the right,” Steve says, but it’s useless because Bucky is already fast asleep snoring softly. Steve smiles, turning off the light and shutting the door quietly behind him. 

 

He heads towards his room, plugging his phone into his charger before getting comfortable in his bed.

 

Steve stare at his ceiling for what feels like hours. He has no idea what the fuck he was doing. He wants nothing more than to be with Bucky, to actually have a real relationship for once in his life. He has spent so long by himself, every time Nat tried to set him up with somebody for a date he always had some type of excuse on to why he couldn’t go. 

 

But Steve was tired. Tired of lying to himself that he wasn’t lonely. It was time for him to be selfish for once and do something for him that will make him happy. 

 

He just hopes Bucky will feel the same in the morning.

 

** 

Bucky wakes up will a killer headache and to the smell of pancakes. 

 

He rubs at his eyes, feeling like he was hit by a fucking truck. He knew it would be a bad idea to go have drinks at the bar after work. They had to come into the office on a Saturday to finish up the remaining paper work for the program that they will be starting up for veterans adjusting back into society. Bucky was so stoked that they were offered the partnership with the fucking King of Wakanda. T’Challa was helping him and Sam with the budget and manufacturing of helping disabled veterans with prosthetics and physical therapy. They had the best team in the world helping, along with T’Challa’s sister Shuri also helping. 

 

It was only expected of them to celebrate, right?

 

Bucky groaned, rolling on his stomach to shove his face in the pillow to try and stop the throbbing of his head. It takes Bucky about two minutes to remember that this isn’t his bed, and his pillows don’t smell like that. He flies out of the bed, taking a look around the room wondering where the fuck he is till he remembers last night.

 

Jesus Christ. 

 

Oh my god, he totally admitted to Steve last night that he was in love with him. 

 

“Way to go, Barnes. The first friend besides Sam and you go fuck with it by telling him you love the guy.” He mutters to himself. Bucky sighs, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and see’s he has messages from Sam. 

 

_How did it go_

 

_Are u guys banging_

 

_Who banged who_

 

Bucky rolls his eyes; he has the worst friends in the world. 

 

He pulls himself together, pulling his hair back in a bun and fixing his shirt. 

 

Bucky can do this. He can go out there and face Steve. He lets out a breath before pulling the door open to the room and the smell of pancakes is even stronger now in the hallway. He follows it to the kitchen and see’s something he never though he would be able to witness in his life. 

 

Steve is flipping pancakes and shaking his hips in music while only wearing black workout shorts with a long skintight Nike shirt. 

 

Bucky is going to pass out. 

 

“Hey, you’re up!” Steve smiles at him. It’s so completely unfair how beautiful Steve looks in the morning. “I made pancakes, and there is some Advil on the counter if you need it.”

 

“Thanks, Steve,” He smiles, nervous because he doesn’t know what the hell to say. He takes the Advil that’s on the counter, washing it down with some water. 

 

Its well- breakfast is awkward to say the least. Bucky has no idea what to say so he just eats his pancakes, (they are amazing, Bucky isn’t even surprised at this point) and waits for the inevitable of Steve letting Bucky down gently. 

 

“You didn’t have to do this, Steve. Really, I-” he sighs. “I’m sorry about last night.” He gets up from the table, he’s doesn’t want to look at Steve right now. He doesn’t want to see any sort of pity from him because even though it wasn’t the way he wanted to tell Steve, he doesn’t regret doing it.

 

“Sorry for what, Buck?” Steve says gently. 

 

Bucky huffs. “C’mon, Steve. We both know what I’m talking about. You might think what I said last night was because I was drunk but that’s not true. I meant it.” 

 

Fuck it, he thinks. Bucky might as well just let Steve know how he really feels now when he finally has the chance. 

 

“From the very first day I met you, Steve, I knew that I had no chance.” He turns to look at Steve, who is now standing at the end of the table, he opens his mouth to say something but Bucky cuts him off before he gets the chance. 

 

“I’ve been gone for you since day one and I know, _I know_ you don’t feel the same way.”

 

“Bucky-” Steve starts.

 

“We have only known each other for close to three months but I can call you my best friend because that is what you are to me.”

 

“ _Bucky-”_

 

“And I know this is going to ruin things for us and everything is going to change now but as long as you are willing to still be my friend even after-”

 

“Bucky will just shut the fuck up and listen to me?” Bucky snaps his mouth shut. 

 

Steve smiles at him. Teeth on full display and Bucky would find it creepy if he wasn’t so fucking gone for the guy. 

 

“I’m in love with you too, you big jerk.” Steve grins. 

 

“I- Are you sure?” Bucky heart is beating so fast that he is almost positive that Steve can hear it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to expect from Steve but it wasn’t that. The possibility of Steve actually having the same mutual feelings for Bucky was never something he ever dreamed of. 

 

Steve rolls his eyes. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

 

He walks towards Bucky who is now sitting on one of the bar stools. He takes Bucky’s face in his hands, tilting his head up to look up at Steve. He rubs his thumbs gently back and forth across Bucky’s cheekbones, it’s such a small thing but it feels so Intimate. 

 

“Never in my life did I expect this to happen,” Bucky says quietly, almost as if it’s a secret. He turns his head into Steve hand, giving it a gentle kiss before looking back up. 

 

“Me either, but I guess that’s what happens when a crazy guy declares his love for you outside your house at eleven at night,” Steve smiles down at him, laughing. 

 

Bucky groans. “Can we never bring that up again? It’s fucking embarrassing, Stevie.”

 

“No can do, pal.” He smirks. “Besides, it’ll be a funny story to tell the kids someday.”

 

Steve goes red immediately. He looks away and clears his throat. “I mean-” 

 

“No, you are right. It’s one hell of a story.” Bucky says and Steve laughs. God, Bucky could really get used to hearing that laugh for the rest of his life. 

 

“How about that kiss you promised me?” Steve’s eyes go wide for a second before they go dark, and if that isn’t the hottest thing Bucky has ever seen. 

 

Steve leans down as Bucky tilts his head up as their lips connect. It’s everything Bucky has ever hope for and more. Steve’s lips are soft but with his beard it gives the best type of combination. Bucky places his hand on Steve’s neck, rubbing his thumb softly over Steve’s pulse point that gets him a groan in response. 

 

He doesn’t know how long they are standing there for, but when they finally break apart, both breathing hard and red from the neck up. 

 

“Let me take you out this week. I want to do this the right way with you,” Bucky says a little out of breath. 

 

Steve leans his forehead against Bucky’s, smiling. “You trying to woo me, Barnes?”

 

Bucky smirks, kissing Steve softly on the lips. “Sweetheart, you would know if I was trying to woo you.”

 

Steve is quiet till he shoves Bucky off him. “You asshole, you remember me saying that last night, don’t you?” 

 

Bucky laughs, he sees Steve rolls his eyes but his mouth is turning up as if he trying not to laugh. “Hey, I’m only joking.” 

 

Steve laughs. He puts their dishes in the sink before turning back around and looking at Bucky. Bucky thinks how happy Steve looks right now. _It’s because of me,_ Bucky thinks. He did that. The best guy Bucky has ever met is right here in front of him and he loves Bucky back. 

 

“I love you,” Bucky says, now that he says it, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to stop.

 

Steve’s cheeks turn read, he smiles at Bucky. “I know. I love you, Buck.”

 

Bucky doesn’t know what he did to deserve this. To deserve a man like Steve in his life but he’ll do his damned best to never lose it. 

 


End file.
